Welcome Fifth Avenue / Bienvenidos Avenida Quinta

La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.

WHILE WE’RE ON THE SUBJECT OF San Geraldo’s gift (or lack thereof) with song lyrics (yesterday’s post), I’m reminded of another one of his many confusing lyrical interpretations.

We had only been together some months when there was a knock on our door and San Geraldo began to sing, “Welcome Fifth Avenue, welcome…” I laughed and he laughed, but I could see by his expression that he he had no idea what we were laughing at.

I said, “You do know the real words, right?”

“Those aren’t the real words?”

Oh dear god. “Why would the emcee of a cabaret in 1930s Berlin be singing Welcome Fifth Avenue?”

“Well, how would I know. I didn’t write the song.”

“It’s ‘Wilkommen, bienvenue, welcome. Fremde, étranger, stranger. Glücklich zu sehen, je sues enchante, happy to see you. Bleibe, reste, stay,’” I sang until San Geraldo’s eyes rolled up into his head. “He says everything first in German, then in French, and then in English. That’s how the entire song goes.”

“Seriously? Fascinating!”

And, yes, it’s been 39 years and every time I hear the song I still think ‘Welcome Fifth Avenue.’ As for “Clang clang clang went the trolley” (which was sung by Judy Garland in 1944 in the film Meet Me in St. Louis), for 39 years it’s been “twang twang twang.” But that’s an entirely different story (and it would embarrass me). So, look at more photos from Tuesday’s walk from the river; these are once I returned to the seafront.

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MIENTRAS ESTAMOS EN EL TEMA del regalo de San Geraldo (o la falta de él) con la letra de las canciones (entrada de ayer), me acuerdo de otra de sus interpretaciones líricas confusas.

Solo llevábamos unos meses juntos cuando alguien llamó a nuestra puerta y San Geraldo empezó a cantar, “Welcome Fifth Avenue, welcome…” [Bienvenida Quinta Avenida, bienvenida …]” Yo reí y él se rió, pero pude ver por su expresión que no tenía nada idea de lo que nos reíamos.

Dije: “¿Conoces las palabras reales, verdad?”

¿Esas no son las palabras reales?”

Oh Dios mio. “¿Por qué el maestro de ceremonias de un cabaret en la década de 1930 en Berlín estaría cantando Welcome Fifth Avenue?”

Bueno, ¿cómo iba a saberlo? Yo no escribí la canción”.

“Es ‘Wilkommen, bienvenue, welcome. Fremde, étranger, stranger. Glücklich zu sehen, je sues enchante, happy to see you. Bleibe, reste, stay,’” canté hasta que los ojos de San Geraldo se pusieron en blanco. “Dice todo primero en alemán, luego en francés, y luego en inglés. Así es como va toda la canción”.

“¿En serio? ¡Fascinante!”

Y, sí, han pasado 39 años y cada vez que escucho la canción sigo pensando “Welcome Fifth Fifth Avenue”. En cuanto a “Clang, clang, clang, went the trolley” [Clang clang clang fue el tranvía], que fue cantado por Judy Garland en 1944 en la película Meet Me in St. Louis), durante 39 años ha sido “twang twang twang”. Pero esa es una historia completamente diferente (y me avergonzaría). Entonces, mira más fotos de la caminata del martes desde el río; estos son una vez que regresé al paseo marítimo.

There’s not as much space to sit on other stretches of beach in Fuengirola.
No hay tanto espacio para sentarse en otros tramos de playa en Fuengirola.
Seeing waves before I even reached the surf.
Viendo olas incluso antes de que yo llegara a las olas.
Outside a hotel on the Paseo.
Afuera de un hotel en el Paseo.
I love how the surf has been following the curve of the cove in recent days.
Me encanta cómo las olas han ido siguiendo la curva de la cala en los últimos días.

He coordinated his shirt and shorts with the awnings (and not with each other).

Coordinó su camiseta y pantalones cortos con los toldos (y no entre ellos).

More dirt than trees lately. Waiting for the arrival of the next batch of tamarinds to be planted (most of which won’t survive).
Últimamente más tierra que árboles. Esperando la llegada del próximo lote de tamarindos para plantar (la mayoría de los cuales no sobrevivirán).

Author: Moving with Mitchell

From Brooklyn, New York; to North Massapequa; back to Brooklyn; Brockport, New York; back to Brooklyn... To Boston, Massachusetts, where I met Jerry... To Marina del Rey, California; Washington, DC; New Haven and Guilford, Connecticut; San Diego, San Francisco, Palm Springs, and Santa Barbara, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Irvine, California; Sevilla, Spain. And Fuengirola, Málaga..

21 thoughts on “Welcome Fifth Avenue / Bienvenidos Avenida Quinta”

  1. OMG! Now the women are joining in with the men!! How disheartening is this!?
    LOVE that photo of the wave in the ‘cove curve’!

  2. That fellow is jaw-droppingly unmatched. No underlying theme can be found. I am enchanted, however, by SG’s lyrical world and by your wavy waves.

    1. Wilma:
      SG is usually not even aware of the lyrics of a song. He once told me he couldn’t get “that song” out of his head. “What song?” Dadadadadadadada, which mean “if you liked it then you should have put a ring on it” but he didn’t have the tune right either. All he usually hears is the percussion.

  3. I see shitty fashion sense is not confined to men only. “twang went the trolley” – hee hee!

    1. Mary:
      I know plenty of people don’t care what they put together but some of the outfits indicate that they actually thought about it and that’s what they came up with.

  4. I’ve made up fake lyrics to songs all my adult life. My favorite was in college the semester I took a pre-Columbian America course and turned “Minnie from Trinidad” (Ziegfeld Girl 1941) into “Ixcoatl from Tenochtitlan.”

    1. wickedhamster:
      I tend to stick to the actual lyrics. SG isn’t creative like you, however. He thinks he’s got the lyrics right.

  5. I think hamsters most adorable, was to a Tina Turner tune, I am your private hamster, your hamster for money, I will do what you want me to do.

    1. mcpersonalspace54:
      Not many British people here right now, so it limits the fashion don’ts. But some live here year round and then there are others who have fallen under their spell. All I have to do is look.

    1. Bob:
      I’d give her credit for the mask if it weren’t just a generic one, but she clearly gave her hair ribbon some thought. As for Cabaret, SG says “you’re welcome.”

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